Who is No. 1? Unveiling the 2018-19 cleveland.com preseason boys basketball Top 25

From top left, close-wise, who is No. 1? Lorain and coach John Rositano bring back back most of their lineup. Solon brings back Mike Bekelja with Trent Williams off a state final run in Division I. St. Vincent-St. Mary is the defending Division II state champ, while St. Edward and Montorie Foster feel they let a deeper postseason run slip from their grasp. (John Kuntz and Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The journey to Columbus begins this weekend.

The boys high school basketball season is here.

So who is No. 1?

Is it Solon? The Comets reached the OHSAA Division I state championship but lost cleveland.com Player of the Year Sincere Carry to graduation and Duquesne.

How about St. Vincent-St. Mary? The Fighting Irish claimed a record eighth state championship and were the only Northeast Ohio team to cut down the nets last season in Columbus?

Lorain made it to the state final four and pushed D-I state champion Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller more than anyone in the postseason. The Titans bring back point guard Devon Grant, versatile forward Taevon Pierre-Louis and most of their lineup -- plus more depth -- from last season. St. Edward also brings back four starters from a team that suffered an upset loss to Lorain in the regionals.

Where do all of these teams stand entering the 2018-19 season with the rest of Greater Cleveland? Find out below.

The unveiling of the cleveland.com preseason Top 25 begins a weeklong series of previews, beginning Monday with Division IV and basketball academies. Division III follows on Tuesday, Division II on Wednesday and Division I on Thursday.

About the Wildcats: St. Ignatius likes to get up and down the floor, and Toppin is one of the area's better players at switching gears for a high-paced game in transition. The Wildcats must find a consistent scorer after graduating a slew of guards from last season's district finalist that ran into rival St. Edward. The Wildcats' postseason alignment switches to Lakewood this year, as it took on the old Strongsville tournament. A rigorous schedule should have St. Ignatius conditioned for that challenge. It opens the season Dec. 1 vs. Lutheran East at Cleveland Heights' Great Lakes Classic, then plays host to the Tigers a week later, travels to Garfield Heights and plays host to state finalist Solon. All of that is just within the first two weeks.

About the Rebels: A challenger to Brush's throne in the WRC, South is one of three teams in the conference that took down the Arcs last season. What separates South is its combination of height and athleticism, particularly with Hopps and Williams, one of the area's most dangerous shot blockers. If the Rebels can overcome the graduation of spark-plug point guard Norman Hughes, they could make a considerable run beyond the WRC. They open the season at defending Senate League champ Glenville, then come home Dec. 4 to face North Coast League favorite Lake Catholic. Matchups with Mentor, Euclid and Gilmour also are on the schedule.

About the Cardinals: Mentor, like many football powerhouses, had to adjust to a November without its roster intact because of a long playoff run. That did not change this year with Floriea, Trubisky and Kipp among the standouts leading the Cardinals on the gridiron. Krizancic and his staff are accustomed to it, however. Their teams have reached three straight district finals and 10 in the last 11 years. In addition to all the football standouts, Rodgers is a Penn State baseball commit. This program graduated plenty of depth from last season's senior class, but it is still loaded with skilled athletes.

About the Red Raiders: Shaker has just one senior on its roster. The future is bright, but for now, the question is how the Raiders bounce back after several big losses to graduation off a regional run. That includes three-year starter Dale Bonner, who is now at Fairmont State, and high-flying Christian Guess, now at Missouri. Shaker is not drained of athleticism, however, and it could be an improved shooting team. Cochran emerged as last season progressed, and that should pay dividends with an increased role for him.